2013 lamborghini gallardo Model Overview

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Vehicle Overview

While the Lamborghini Gallardo may be the Italian super car maker’s least expensive model, it doesn’t skimp on power and performance. The 5.2-liter V-10 can make 542 hp (LP 550), 552 hp, (LP 560), or 562 hp (LP 570) and 398 lb-ft of torque that sends power to the rear or all four wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Gallardo buyers can opt for a coupe or Spyder (convertible) bodystyle as well as various special editions including Superleggera, Super Trofeo Stradale, Spyder Perfromante, Valentino Balboni, and Blancpain Edition. The V-10 is EPA rated 12-13/20 mpg city/highway depending on transmission.

The Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni “special limited-edition Gallardo
(250 units worldwide) is rather verbosely named to honor 40-year veteran Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni, who has not only helped develop every car since the Miura SV, but has personally test-driven some 80 percent of all individual Lamborghinis ever sold.” While the deletion of the front differential and driveshaft save 165 pounds, other tweaks keep the powerful rear-drive coupe in line: “As for rear drive’s fear-factor, moneyed drifters may be disappointed to learn that the tail sincerely wants to follow the nose. A stiffer front anti-roll bar, the spring and damper tweaks, and those grippier rear tires conspire against tail-wagging shenanigans.”

While the rear-drive LP 550-2 Spyder sports 542 hp, LP 560-4 Spyder gets a 10 hp bump and all-wheel drive. In our first drive, we were impressed with the LP 560-4 Spyder’s spaceframe that “banishes the entire notion of chassis flex. No matter how uneven the pavement and how aggressively we aim for the bumps, there’s no discernible body wiggle or cowl shake. Top up, it’s quiet inside, with no squeaks or rattles.” “The entire process – and the audible euphoria it produces – is an addictive cocktail,” we said about the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in our first drive. That model features all 562 hp combined a 143-pound weight reduction, an open top, and stiffer race derived suspension. Lamborghini claims the 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds.

The Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera (super light) loses 158 pounds thanks to the addition of several carbon fiber body panels, polycarbonate windows aft of the B-pillar, and lighter forged wheels with titanium bolts. Lamborghini claims the light weight model weighs a bit less than 3000 pounds and will sprint to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. With just 150 copies, the LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale
is a race car for the streets and is available in just three colors: Grigio Telesto, Bianco Monocerus, and Rosso Mars red. While the LP 570-4 Blancpain Edition features the same power and weight reduction recipe as the LP 570-4 Superleggera, the Blancpain is painted in a matte black hue, accented with special Blancpain logos. Carbon fiber accents, primarily on the bespoke rear wing and slotted engine cover, also dress up the Blancpain model, as do black 20-inch aluminum wheels cribbed from the Balboni edition.”

With an update expected in the next few years, there are no changes to the 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo. The “entry-level” Lambo hasn’t been tested by the NHTSA or evaluated by the IIHS.

2013 Lamborghini Gallardo News and Reviews

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